BIRR: B Mullins; S Whelahan, J Erritty, G Doorley; Barry Whelahan, Brian Whelahan, N Claffey; J Pilkington, C Hanniffy; D Hanniffy, C McGlone, D Pilkington; G Cahill, D Regan, P Carroll. Subs: O O’Neill for Carroll, L Power for McGlone.
SARSFIELDS: T Kenny; Padraig Kelly, B Cooney, M McGrath; M Stratford, M Ward, W Earls; N Morrissey, J Cooney; P Forde, M McGrath, A Donohue; Peter Kelly, J McGrath, P Cooney. Subs: C Murray for G McGrath, M Kenny for Stratford, C Hynes for Morrissey.
Whelahan majestic as Birr heroes conquer Sarsfields
Published in the Irish Independent on March 18, 1998
BIRR 1-13 SARSFIELDS 0-9
THEY were heroes all in the eyes of their flock.Super performances from key players were the aces Birr deployed to dismantle the Sarsfields challenge to win the AIB All-Ireland club hurling title for a second time in magnificent style at Croke Park yesterday.
It would undoubtedly have been a lot closer had the Galway side taken a couple of clear goal chances in the first half but when it came to the crunch the men from the midlands had all the answers, none more so than a magnificent defence where Brian Whelahan was a colossus.
Team captain, Joe Erritty, was an inspiration, too, and when he accepted the Tommy Moore trophy for a second time he had reason to be emotional as he remembered his late father, Tommy Erritty, who collapsed and died just before their semi-final.
“I know he was looking down on us today,” said Joe with understandable pride at the end of a game which was a credit to the sportsmanship and respect which both teams showed each other.
GOAL CHANCES
No doubt Peter Cooney will look back and feel that he should have made better use of the two goal chances which fell to him and equally Peter Kelly in the other corner, at a time when his side needed inspiration to curtail the freedom and total movement of a well-drilled Birr’s side.
The loss of Gerry McGrath through injury was a blow to western hopes but as Sarsfields’ chairman, Frank Corcoran, said in the winner’s dressing-room afterwards, “we were left to admire your skill and wonderful rhythm”, which summed up Birr’s performance on what was their day of joy.
It ebbed and flowed on the green sward, magnetic to the eye as both teams hustled and harried to establish an early dominance that would cultivate doubts among opponents from neighbouring counties who breed hurlers like they do ponies in Connemara.
A superb Birr defence along with missed chances left Sarsfields almost accepting their fate midway through the second half after the Offaly side tagged on three more points from Gary Cahill’s free, Johnny Pilkington’s wonderful sideline `cut’ and Declan Pilkington to extend their half-time advantage to a commanding 1-9 to 0-5.
Just prior to the break Darren Hanniffy with a lovely piece of skill, Conor McGlone and Declan Pilkington moved Birr into a four point lead and when Aidan Donohue raised a Sarsfields’ flag well into the second half it was their first score after a gap of some 25 minutes.
It’s very difficult to win a hurling game with such a lack of strike power and the Sarsfields attack was held to a mere three points from play, one each from the gifted Donohue, the hard-grafting Joe McGrath and Peter Kelly.
Such a paltry return was undoubtedly a reflection of the power and ingenuity of the Birr defence where Brian Whelahan repeatedly broke their hearts with clearances of great magnitude, brothers Simon and Barry repeatedly made many timely tackles and the consistency of Erritty, Gareth Doorley and Niall Claffey left the western attack floundering.
Brian Whelahan was wonderful, a joy to watch and it was his long clearance in front of the Cusack Stand after just three minutes which led to Hanniffy’s goal while the performance from Johnny Pilkington at midfield was truly magnificent, superb in every way.
The 27-year-old was everywhere, initiating moves, getting in tackles, flicking the ball to colleagues and breaking Sarsfields hearts, including that of Joe Cooney, with a capital show, forcing the vanquished to make a changes in the area.
He was in the thick of the action all the way through, driving over a point from 50 yards after six minutes, cutting over from the sideline early in the second and then placing and then flicking to Hanniffy for two more points which slowly sank the opposition.
UNFORGETTABLE DAY
In Hanniffy the champions had probably the best forward on the field, taking his goal brilliantly following a flick on from Paul Carroll, and then adding three more points from play to make it an unforgettable day for the 23-year-old.
Padraig Kelly, in particular, hurled himself to a standstill while Brendan Cooney, Michael Stratford and McGrath before he retired held the Sarsfields defence together but such was the utter hunger and fluency among Hanniffy, Daithi Regan, Declan Pilkinton and Gary Cahill in the Birr attack that they constantly made openings from which they reaped their harvest.
There were times when Sarsfields played equally well, if not better than Birr, but had problems in making that final opening which would have made all the difference, again a tribute to the total commitment and refusal of the Leinster defence to concede an inch.
Sarsfields looked sure to go ahead on 15 minutes when Peter Kelly skillfully rounded Doorley with only Brian Mullins to beat but did the wise thing in flicking to the unmarked Cooney for what looked a certain goal but he blazed wide from about ten yards.
Four minutes later Cooney broke through again but once more saw the ball run wide before Kelly missed a third goal chance when he mis-hit his shot and the danger was averted.
In the second half, Sarsfields moved Joe Cooney to centre-back, brought the ever industrious Joe McGrath to centre-forward where he schemed and drove forward, but after being `robbed’ from behind by Brian Whelehan he linked up with `Hopper’ to make an opening for Padraig Forde only for the wing-forward to miss a further goal opportunity that would have narrowed the gap to three points.
That summed up their day although it must be said that Birr always seemed to have that extra second on their side and used it to telling effect. Worthy champions indeed at the end of a fine game.
SCORERS – Birr: D Hanniffy 1-3. G Cahill 0-3 (2f), D Pilkington 0-2. J Pilkington 0-2 (1 sideline), B Whelahan, C McGlone and D Regan 0-1 each. Sarsfields: A Donohue 0-7 (6f), J McGrath and Peter Kelly 0-1 each.
REF: W Barrett (Tipperary).